The Influence Of Political Bosses In The United States

As stated by our first president George Washington, “however political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of the government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion” (Washington, George). During his life, George Washington had presentiments that while political parties may have some benefits, these would be greatly overweighed by the risks posed. Political parties offer citizens a voice to express their desired qualities in an elected politician and to express their goals for society.
The most common and well-known example of political bosses in America was Tammany Hall, but bosses extended to much more than just New York City. The popularity of bosses began during the Progressive Era in an effort to improve the lives of the impoverished and migrant populations, but quickly became associated with corruption. Political bosses impaired the constitutional guarantees of voters because they usually were paid to influence, through violence or money, voters in their election decisions (Watkins, Thayer). Political bosses would have complete control over elections, and instead of having politicians elected because they were the right person for the job, bosses had them elected because they could pay the highest salary. Political bosses galvanized the influence of corporations, unions, and large political donors. These corporate organizations flooded money into the political sphere so that they could buy votes to get supportive politicians elected in order to get legislation passed which would benefit themselves (“The Tweed Ring”). In their effort to improve the lives of immigrants, bosses increased the influence of many unions, as many of the unions were flooded at the time with migrants, especially the Irish. The Irish began to play a large part in the political sphere and through the bosses effort to improve their
Voters, and those running for office, should be given the opportunity to accept whichever points they believe in, whether it be that taxes need raised or that abortions should be against the law. Primaries do allow voters to see which candidates the rest of the country likes, and to either push for more support for their candidate or switch votes. Despite this, primaries add to the already present attitude of divisiveness within parties and also increase the influence of “big business” corporations. Big bosses may have renewed the effort to improve the lives of those who were immigrants and those who lived destitute lives, but they helped to elect officials illegally. In addition to all of the aforementioned detriments, political parties, bosses, and primaries all smother the rights of voters, especially by infringing upon the first and fifteenth amendments. As an American citizen who will be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election, this information is very disconcerting. As a nation, we need to improve the way we have set up our government, and how we go about electing those who represent our values. Political parties, bosses, and primaries need to be altered, so that they do not ruin the election process, but enhance